True Lies
by phantomwriter07
Summary: Part 2 of the Love Trials series. Syd meets with her mystery guest, and her relationship with Vaughn continues to grow. [complete]
1. aaaaaaaahhhhh

True Lies

part 2 of 3

sequel to 'The Road once Taken'

Author's Note Well, this was/is going to be an AU type trilogy, but so far I guess I'm sort of staying close to 'reality'. So this is an AU fic, but there are still 'spoilers' as far as the show goes. Basically, this one is the main turning point. In other words, no North Korean capture. Also, Syd never slept with Will, but they still went on the mission together.

Chapter 1

Sydney looked at Kendall with disbelief and put her hand over her no-longer mysterious scar. "The Covenant took my EGGS?! But, why me? Why not my mother? And-wait a minute. You knew where I'd been? You knew about Vaughn and Lauren and never told me?! After everything I've done for you-"

He cut her off sharply. "Ms. Bristow, I have already told you, you asked me NOT to! That was the whole point of erasing your own memories! Now, if it's not too much to ask, there's something else I need to tell you.

"Fine. Whatever. I can't believe you didn't at least tell me about Vaughn, though." Angry tears began sliding down her face. "We were gonna escape, you know. He was going to take me to Santa Barbara for the weekend. We were going to be normal people, for a few days at least..." she trailed off with a sad smile to Kendall. "Sorry, go ahead."

"I was planning on it. It's funny that you mention Agent Vaughn. What I have to say directly affects him." Kendall scowled and shook his head. "He is going to report down here as soon as he is done in Medical Services. Up until he walks in the door, everything said in this room is between us. You are not to divulge any of the extremely sensitive details to anyone. Perhaps a broader spectrum, but no more."

Just as Kendall finished his sentence Vaughn burst in. He looked rather pale, and there was a sheen of sweat covering him, making his shirt stick to him slightly. At the sight of Sydney however, he relaxed. It was then that he noticed the man who was also in the room.

"Holy sh-"

"Vaughn! Sit down, Kendall apparently has some juicy tidbits to share."

Vaughn took a seat next to Sydney, stealing a nervous glance before looking into Kendall's unblinking eyes. "Um, hi, sir. Sorry about my entrance."

Kendall chuckled softly to himself. "That's quite alright Mr. Vaughn. Although I do not doubt that you will have more than a few choice words when I'm done. Both of you, actually."

Sydney grabbed Vaughn's hand before nodding to Kendall. "Go ahead. I think we've been kept waiting long enough."

"Mr. Vaughn, you are aware your wife-excuse me- ex wife is pregnant?" Vaughn nodded. "You are also aware that the child is not yours, correct?" He nodded again. "You also need to know a detail of Sydney's missing two years, specifically regarding her scar. Would you like to explain, Ms. Bristow?"

"Of course." She turned to look into the clear jade eyes that were swimming with confusion. "There's really no easy way to say this, so I guess I'll be blunt. Vaughn, the scar... the Covenant stole my eggs."

"Oh my God, Sydney!" He reached as if to embrace her, but she held out a hand to stop him.

"I know. Not now, okay? I think we both need to hear whatever it is Kendall has to say. I must admit, I'm actually quite curious," she said, turning to look at Kendall once more.

"Thank you, Vaughn, Sydney. I assume you are both familiar with Anna Espinosa?"

"Oh, that little Rambaldi slut? The one that caused me and Dixon to nearly be killed in Argentina? Yeah, I think I remember."

Kendall looked at Sydney cautiously before proceeding. "Right. Well, she has made contact recently. Her information regards your eggs," he nodded at Sydney, "and your ex-wife."

"What?!" they said in unison. They each began talking quite rapidly, fighting to make themselves heard.

"How does Anna know about this?"

"Lauren's a part of this? How?"

"You better tell me what's going on right now!"

Kendall held up a hand. "ENOUGH! I assure both of you, given I'm not interrupted every other minute, that you will soon know why this is so important. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you. Ms. Bristow, the vial of Rambaldi tissue you and Mr. Tippin recovered was stolen during a transport. Lauren Reed was a part of the ambush team, as was Anna. All I'm telling you right now is what Ms. Espinosa has told us. They were simply retrieving the _second_ vial, as to make sure we didn't figure out its purpose. They have had the first one for over a year, and have known its use for almost six months. The 'tissue' is sperm. The 'power unto utter desolation' that the manuscript spoke of is a child."

Sydney chose this time to interrupt. "Excuse me, did you say a _child_?"

"Yes, Miss Bristow, I'm afraid I did. You see, the eggs of the 'chosen one', that's you, Sydney, are to be fertilized with the sperm of Rambaldi. According to Ms. Espinosa, Lauren was chosen as the surrogate mother to your child. That explains her pregnancy for you, Mr. Vaughn."

He nodded silently, while Sydney began to cry. "S-so, Lauren is carrying m-my child, that was fertilized by Rambaldi's s-sperm?"

"I'm afraid so. Now, Anna has made it clear that this child MUST be born, but Lauren cannot continue to carry it, nor can it end up with the Covenant. We only have one option, and a risky one at that. In order for this baby to be born, and fulfill the prophecy, it has to be born to the chosen one. We have been informed that Lauren will be at a party in London on Saturday night. She will be at Club 67 to meet up with a high-ranking Covenant operative. You two will go in and get her before the meeting. Once you are back in the States, you will go IMMEDIATELY to the Naval Hospital where myself and several others will be waiting. After meeting with us, Sydney, you will go into an emergency surgery to transfer the baby to you. It will be quite lengthy, for your part at least. Once they are finished with Lauren she will be transferred to Camp Harris for unrestricted interrogation. With any luck, she will tell us the location of the Covenant's lab so we can retrieve your eggs and such. Got it?"

Sydney nodded, squeezing Vaughn's hand for support. "Uh, Mr. Kendall, it's Friday afternoon."

He smiled slyly. "I know. Marshall has your op-tech and disguises. Your flight leaves at 5:00."

Vaughn looked at Sydney, and the smirks began to spread. They thanked Kendall and left quietly. Once they had reached Marshall's desk, Vaughn whispered into Sydney's ear, "You in party wear? I can't wait." She furrowed her brow in mock anger and slapped him lightly on the arm.

A minute later Marshall bounded into view with a large box perched precariously on a clipboard. "Hi! Well, today at Marshall's Spyware Emporium, we are having a sale on British rave clothes. You see, this place-Club 67 is it? Yeah, well it's very...modern. Needless to say, I kinda went costume crazy. This," he said, pulling out a dark blue wig with platinum blonde roots, "is for you, Syd. Now, as is the current style there, it should reach to the middle of your back, so don't freak out if you get loads of compliments. I know, I'm that good. Vaughn, don't freak out, but, uh, here's yours." Sydney suppressed a snort. It was bleach-blonde, but basically the same as Vaughn's real hair.

"Um, Marshall, couldn't we have just bleached the hair that Vaughn has now?"

Marshall's grin broadened. "I had his best interest at heart. I figured he would rather have a wig, y'know?"

"Marshall, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that."

Marshall chuckled. "Well, I figured for you we could kind of do a Spike type thing. You know Spike, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, right?" He looked to see them nodding. "Good. Also, I got you a fake diamond earring and this man-ring here. I thought a little bling-bling would be nice."

"That's great, Marshall. Now I must confess, I'm curious to see what you've got for Sydney." He grinned evilly and winked at Marshall.

"Of course. Well, I didn't have a real icon, but here's what I came up with." He plunged his hand into the box and pulled out a pair of knee-high combat boots. The soles were at least 2 ½ inches thick. Sydney rolled her eyes as she saw the buckled that went all the way up. Next came a hot pink vinyl bra and a black fishnet shirt. "The black thing can go over or under, whichever you like." Sydney sighed and looked over at Vaughn, who was grinning wickedly. A black leather miniskirt followed, complete with a skull and crossbones belt.

"I swear, Marshall, one of these days I want to see you get into one of these outfits. Well, maybe not see you, but you get my drift."

Marshall laughed again. "I'm not finished." He pulled out a choker with metal rings going all the way around. "Look familiar?"

"Taipei," Sydney breathed.

"Yup. All the same hardware, well I guess that's because it's the same one." He also pulled out faux diamond hoop earrings. "You like?"

The pair nodded and collected their things.

"Vaughn, are you okay with all of this?" Sydney asked once they were out of earshot.

"Yeah, I just always thought any child you had would be mine. Not some 15th century freak's."

"Don't worry, my next one will be."

He gaped at her for a second before grabbing her hand and whispering, "I love you, Sydney."

"I know. I love you, too."

The plane ride was uneventful, mainly due to the deep thought each agent was immersed in. _My child_, Sydney thought. _Lauren is carrying my child. How could this happen?_ She looked over at Vaughn, who was absentmindedly staring out the window_. Poor Vaughn. I wish I could make it all go away._ She wondered if she had spoken her last thought out loud, because right at that moment he came over. She stood up to meet him, and was quite startled when he pulled her into a kiss. Vaughn pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"Sydney, I'm scared. What if something goes wrong?"

"Don't worry about it. Anna is going to be there, and ..."

"Yes?"

"My mom."

"Sydney, how do you know all this?"

"Anna called me. She was with my mom. I don't know why, but I trust them."

He nodded. "We'll get her. And we'll get your baby back."

This time it was her turn to nod. She smiled and kissed him passionately. Sydney pulled back and checked her watch. "We touch down in fifteen minutes. Unfortunately for us, we're gonna have about three hours before we have to be there."

"Three hours?"

"The party officially starts at 11, but we're on the list to get in at 8."

"Oh, I get it. So, what are our names?"

"Well, I'm Selena Portcullis, and you're Alex Shay."

"Alex huh? Okay, cool."

Vaughn walked out of the small hotel bathroom shaking his head and grinning sheepishly.

"Lemme see! Lemme see!" Sydney squealed with delight, bouncing on the bed. When Vaughn came around the corner, a wild shriek escaped from her lips, but was quickly muffled by her fist, which was rapidly making its way into her mouth.

"Oh thanks. So glad you approve. Now I believe it's your turn? I have to finish my whole Billy Idol thing out here."

"I think it's Spike, but whatever. Toss me my bag?" He threw it at her lightly, causing it to fall a foot short. "Great job, Agent Vaughn." She stuck her tongue out at him as she rummaged through her bag to find the stuff she needed to put on her wig. Once everything was collected she went into the bathroom, laughing at Vaughn's obvious loathing of his new hair.

Sydney emerged a few minutes later blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Well this is new. I don't think I've ever had a wig this long." She was glad that she didn't need to wear contacts today; they had always bothered her.

Vaughn whistled as she spun around.

"It's only a wig, idiot. I'm still in my work clothes."

"Yeah, I guess." He was sitting on the edge of the bed. His black leather trenchcoat was hanging over the back of a chair. He was wearing a tight black T-shirt, black jeans, and of course his bling-bling.

Sydney smiled. "So, whaddya think? Bra on top or bra underneath?"

"How about on top? I'd like to see you channel a bit of Gwen Stefani."

"On top it is."

Vaughn was still sitting there when she began to change. She had the fishnet top on and was adjusting it slightly. It felt a little weird on her bare skin. "Vaughn?" she called. "Could you hook the bra for me?"

"Sure."

After the bra, the rest of the outfit was easy. The boots took awhile to buckle, and the skirt took some persuasion, but soon she was ready to go. Marshall had given Sydney more of the blue tranquilizer dots so she wouldn't have to injure the baby Lauren was carrying on accident. This made Sydney happy, but she still wanted to beat Lauren senseless.

Vaughn broke the silence. "Don't you think it's funny how much these costumes resemble the ones from Taipei?"

"Yeah, let's just hope we don't run into giant disease filled balls or a Suit and Glasses wannabe." Sydney laughed darkly and turned to the mirror. "You don't know how lucky you are, Vaughn."

"How am I lucky?"

"You don't have to put on loads of makeup." They both laughed as Sydney grabbed the eyeliner.

After an hour long drive they were finally there. There was already a large number of people there, milling around in front of the door. The sounds of Flogging Molly were currently filling the air. Sydney noticed a girl with shocking-pink hair that couldn't have been more than fifteen with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Vodka in the other, She looked at Vaughn and shook her head sadly. They arrived at the door to find a bouncer, who was eyeing Sydney eagerly. Vaughn cleared his throat loudly. The bouncer cracked his enormous knuckles threateningly before looking back at Sydney.

"Names?"

Sydney spoke first. "I'm Selena Portcullis, and this is Alex Shay." She smiled slightly and looked at Vaughn. The bouncer lifted an eyebrow and flipped through his list.

He nodded and said, "Alright, go ahead. Have fun." Sydney smiled again as she stepped over the threshold.

Vaughn looked at her and shook his head. "I can't believe Lauren would come to a place like this. I mean, can you imagine a pregnant woman here?"

"Not really." Sydney stopped in the middle of the dance floor. "I don't see her yet, but look over there." She gestured toward the bar. There sat Anna, in all her glory. Her hair remained undyed, and was set in loose waves. She wore a red leather tank top with laces up the back, and low rise black satin pants. She lifted her glass, and Sydney nodded in response. "Do you see her?"

"Yeah, should we go talk to her?"

"Probably, but maybe not directly. Let's go over there anyway. I'm getting thirsty."

Weaving in and around the crowd, they slowly made it to the bar. Sydney and Vaughn took a seat on either side of Anna. She was the first to speak. "Thank you for coming, Sydney. Your mother is watching the entrance for Ms. Reed, but I'm sure she will join us soon." Sydney merely nodded in response, and Vaughn ordered a drink. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh, this is Michael Vaughn." Vaughn held out a hand and she shook it.

"Vaughn you say?" He nodded curtly. "Aah, you must be Lauren's ex husband. She spoke of you often, though I must say it was rarely pleasant."

"I can imagine."

Just then Sydney felt a hand on her shoulder. She was quite prepared to attack when she heard a voice in her ear. "Hello, Sydney."

"Mom?"

"Yes, but we cannot talk now. Lauren has just arrived."

"Where is she?"

"By the door. You'll know it's her; she is just beginning to show."

Sydney nudged Anna, who in turn got Vaughn's attention. She glanced at the door. Vaughn got the hint and turned his head slightly. There she was, with pink highlights scattered in her limp blonde hair. She was wearing a black lace camisole top and white pants. Her stomach was barely round, but still noticeable. She began heading toward a door on the opposite side of the room.

"Let's go." slowly and stealthily, Sydney crept up behind her. Vaughn made a minor scene by 'accidentally' spilling Lauren's drink by bumping into her. While she was stopped, Sydney brushed by, placing a dot on Lauren's neck. She passed out immediately, and Vaughn caught her before she hit the floor. Quietly he snuck out a side door while Sydney made her way back to where Irina and Anna were sitting.

"Good work, Sydney. Tell your father I miss him, and will see him soon."

"I will. I have to go. Both of you need to know, I will help you however I can to bring down the Covenant."

"We know, Sydney. I just find it funny that you are the chosen one, yet I bear the symbol of Rambaldi."

"Me too. Goodbye." As quiet as a shadow, Sydney turned on her heel and left. She made it to the van unnoticed, where Vaughn was waiting. Lauren was lying down in the back, handcuffed and gagged. She got into the passenger seat beside Vaughn.

"Ready, Syd?" She nodded. "Okay then! Let's roll!"

They were all in their party wear when they arrived at the Naval hospital. Kendall, Dixon, Jack, Weiss, and an unnamed man were all waiting. Weiss spoke first.

"Hey, Mike, nice hair!"

"Bite me, Eric."

"Nice to see you, to. Oh, Syd, ditto on the hair. Blue is a great color for ya. By the way, LOVE the bra."

"Eric," Vaughn said warningly.

"What? Oh, fine."

Jack stepped out to help get Lauren inside. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, dad. I'm fine. No butt-kicking needed. Oh, mom says hi, and she'll see you soon."

Jack looked slightly taken aback, but said nothing.

"I guess I should follow her, shouldn't I? To the surgery, you know..." She let the sentence hang. Vaughn sidled up behind her, grabbing her hand.

"Good luck, Syd. I'll try to stay with you as long as I can, but I thought I'd say it now."

When they got inside, a man came up and shook Sydney's hand. "I'm Dr. Ramirez, I'm in charge of your surgery. I'd like to warn you that this procedure is experimental, and possibly very risky. I realize this is extremely important, but there is no guarantee of success. If all goes well, however, you will be pregnant!"

"I understand. Thank you, Dr. Ramirez." She then pulled Kendall aside. "Do you realize we'll have to take this child to Mt. Subaccio?"

"Yes, I suppose. For the same reason you went, I'm guessing? To 'calm the fire within'?"

"Yeah, but how are we going to get a baby there?"

"Well, unlike you were, it won't be a fugitive, so I guess we could use a chopper."

Sydney sighed with relief as she pulled off her wig. "Okay."

"Miss Bristow?" It was Dr. Ramirez. "We need you to change into your hospital gown. We're going to start soon." He smiled reassuringly and walked over to Lauren, who was beginning to wake.

Vaughn noticed this, as did Sydney. They walked hand in hand to the gurney where she was laying, still handcuffed and restrained.

"Where-MICHAEL!" she screamed. She turned her head slightly and noticed Sydney. "And you!" she snarled. "What's going on? Why am I here?!"

Sydney smiled bitterly. "You see, Lauren, the thing about being a double agent? You have to be working for the good guys, because we always win. And the thing about Rambaldi? He's unpredictable. So next time, make sure you know what you're doing before you try to get pregnant with MY baby."

At that Lauren let out an unearthly scream and began struggling against her restraints, desperate to attack Sydney. Sydney laughed quietly and muttered, "You have so much to learn."

Vaughn had said nothing through this whole ordeal, but was surprised by how Sydney seemed to read his thoughts. He ran his fingers through his hair, and realized he was still wearing his wig. He ripped it off violently, instantly wishing he hadn't. He touched the back of his neck gingerly; a few hairs had been ripped out. He turned down the hallway leading to the OR, right behind Jack.

The last thing Sydney saw before she went under was Dr. Ramirez looming over her.

"Sydney, I want you to count back from 100, okay?"

"100, 99, 98, 97..."

She was standing in a room, with black walls and a black floor. The ceiling was too high to be seen. There was a small window opposite her. She edged toward it nervously. The closer she tried to get, however, the further it seemed to be. "Oh come ON!" she yelled. It was as if the room had been waiting for those words, because after walking a little more she was there. The window was slightly larger than a CD case. She pressed her face against the glass, and unexpectedly fell through.

She was standing on a beach. The sky was grey, and the wind was cool. She looked across the sand and saw a group of people. She stopped, though, when she heard the voice floating on the wind.

"... A wonderful woman, and a superb agent. Taken far too soon by the combined forces of evil and nature. Sydney Bristow will be missed by everyone. Let it be known that love does not stop, even for death. Agent Vaughn, would you like to speak before you spread the ashes?

Sydney found herself running toward the voice. She didn't stop until she found the group. There stood Kendall, Dixon, Jack, Marshall, and Vaughn. Vaughn was holding an urn, but he clutched it even tighter as he went to stand with the priest.

"Umm, I remember when I first met Syd, she had that bozo red hair, and I thought 'What a beautiful woman.' I love Sydney with all my heart, as does anyone who knew her. I-I can't help but think, 'Why did this happen? It wasn't her time, she had a long life ahead of her! A long life with me.' She may be gone physically, but she lives on, in my heart-in our hearts! Let no one ever forget Sydney Anne Bristow."

Sydney reached out to Vaughn, to hold him, but her hand simply passed through him.

"Thank you, Agent Vaughn. You may spread the ashes."

He walked slowly toward the crashing waves. He bowed his head and removed the urn's lid. Sydney watched as the grey and brown ashes swirled in the wind before settling on the water. When he turned around Sydney saw his face was shining with tears. He quickly wiped his face on his sleeve before returning to the group.

By instinct, Sydney reached up to her cheeks, and was startled by their wetness. She turned to go beck to the mysterious room, but it was no longer there. Instead there was a dark brown van. She walked toward it cautiously, hesitating before passing through the doors. As her eyes fell upon the sight before her, an inaudible scream tore from her lips, silently splitting the calmness that surrounded.


	2. what is going on?

Chapter 2

She finally stopped screaming and paused to look more closely at the scene in front of her. There was an old man-Oleg, she guessed, as well as two women. Lauren, and herself. Lauren and Oleg were laughing at Sydney cruelly.

"What, can't bear to see your lover cry? Don't worry, I'll cheer him up for you." Lauren grabbed the small tazer and touched it quickly to Sydney's stomach.

"You are dead, Sydney Bristow. You are nobody-yet. Come with us." Oleg laughed at Sydney as Lauren zapped her again. As she howled with pain through her gag, everything faded to black before erupting a few seconds later in swirling neon.

This time Sydney saw herself lying on an operating table. Lauren was nowhere to be seen, and she soon realized that her eggs were being extracted. _I'm living my memories. From a different perspective, yes, but living them just the same. _

"We've got them," the doctor said. Just then, Sydney heard a voice calling her name from far above.

"Sydney? Sydney, can you hear me?"

She mumbled something incomprehensible before opening her eyes. Vaughn was standing over her, looking worried.

"Syd, are you okay?"

"Mmm, yeah. How long have I been out?"

"Almost a week."

"Really? In my dream it only seemed like a few minutes."

"Dreams can betray how long you've really been sleeping. What was it about, anyway? You were thrashing and screaming quite a bit just now."

"I-" Sydney was suddenly aware of the other people in the room. "I'll tell you later," she whispered. "So," she said more loudly. "How did the surgery go?"

Dr. Ramirez stepped forward, smiling broadly. "Well, it was a complete success. Congratulations, Miss Bristow, you're pregnant."

At once the tears began to fall. Vaughn's magnificent jade eyes were brimming as well. He leaned down to Sydney and whispered hoarsely, "Congratulations, beautiful. You're having a baby."

"No. We're having a baby. It needs a father, after all."

Vaughn smiled and kissed Sydney's temple before straightening. "Oh, I almost forgot, you have some...visitors." He nodded toward the door. The RN opened it slowly, and Sydney gasped with surprise.

"Mom! Will! Oh my God! You're not in custody? And, how did you get out of Witness Protection?"

Will grinned and strode toward the bed. "Well, I _do_ have government connections, Syd. Oh, congrats by the way."

"Thank you. Mom? You can come in, you know."

"I know, Sydney. I just can't believe my baby girl is pregnant, even if the child is technically Rambaldi's."

Sydney smiled, but then grew somber. "I wish Francie was here. We always talked about this kind of stuff. How she would be Aunt Francie and I would be Aunt Sydney. And, of course, Uncle Will."

"Aww, Syd." Will leaned down and hugged her. "I miss Fran, too, but at least we didn't lose you."

Vaughn cast Will an appreciative glance before clearing his throat and saying, "Irina, could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course, Mr. Vaughn."

"What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, how much do you know about this. . .prophecy?"

Irina smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, not much. I'd say no more than you do."

"Oh. I also wanted to tell you this. I cannot forgive you for what you did to my father, but I'll try my best to be civil. Sydney means as much to me as she does to you, and if we can find common ground there, then I'm sure we'll get along fine."

"I appreciate your sentiment, Mr. Vaughn. And I'm glad that you're here for my daughter."

Just then, Will poked his head out. "You guys gonna come back in? Sydney wants to see everyone."

Vaughn smiled. "Sure, Will. We're right behind you."

They arrived back in the room to see Weiss snapping pictures with a disposable camera. Sydney looked up to see Vaughn and Irina had returned.

"Ooh, goody. Now that you're all here, I think poses are in order? Mom, dad, get over here. I need a family photo." Irina and Jack acquiesced, standing on either side of their daughter.

Everyone else stepped back, except for Weiss, who took a step forward, camera in hand. "Okay, everyone say 'happy spies!'"

Laughing, they echoed, "Happy Spies!" Still laughing, Sydney spoke again. "Will, Weiss, you next." Weiss handed the camera to Vaughn and took the place Irina had just vacated. When they were done, Sydney motioned to Vaughn. "Don't think I've forgotten about you." So, laughing and smiling, old friends and lovers were reunited, causing a trace of everyone's former self to appear. Sydney, Vaughn, and Jack no longer looked like a shadow of two years past. Instead, happiness filled their eyes rather than grief. Relief showed in Weiss' eyes, as well as Will's. Anyone who walked into the room then would not have known the horrors these people have faced just by looking at them. Only pure, true, happiness.

The next day, Sydney left the hospital. Vaughn had stayed with her all night, and the others were returning to see her home. They all filed out of the hospital, Vaughn pushing Sydney's wheelchair. He smiled as he noticed Irina's hand slip into Jack's without protest. He was sure he was the only one who noticed, as Sydney and Will were being entertained by Weiss' yo-yo tricks. Syd turned her attention to Vaughn, and noticed him smiling.

"What?"

He motioned to her parents. "Look."

"Oh my God. I mean-wow!"

"Yeah, I know."

"Um, Vaughn?"

He noticed the change of tone immediately. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. I was just thinking, I'm pregnant now, and I live alone, so. . .So I was wondering, I mean, if you want to, do you think you could stay with me?"

Another smile played at the corners of his mouth. "What do you mean, like, live with you? Move in?"

"Uh, yeah. You know, forget it, it was stupid-"

"Okay."

"What?!"

"I think it's a great idea." As she was loaded into the car, Vaughn reached his hand into his pocket and felt the small velvet box. The ring. Sydney had urged him to keep the ring, in case things didn't work out in surgery. He hadn't argued, simply held her until she fell asleep. He was startled out of his reverie by the car door slamming. Half-consciously he climbed into the passenger seat.

(4 weeks later)

"Vaughn?" Sydney stepped out of the shower to hear soft music playing. Slightly confused, she slipped on her light blue robe.

"I'm out here."

She walked into her living room to see the fireplace and candles were all lit. The lights were either off or dimmed, and rose petals covered the couch and floor. The sounds of Coldplay were filling the room. Sydney's breath caught in her chest as she saw Vaughn. He was wearing his best suit, and smiled when he saw Sydney.

"Hey. Go put on something nice. I figured we could have a nice night in."

"Okay, sure. This is-I mean, wow."

Vaughn's grin broadened. "Go get dressed. Dinner will be ready soon."

Sydney nodded and headed back to her room. She wrenched open her closet doors and began her search. After throwing nearly all of her dresses on the bed, she finally found one. It was a knee length, cherry red V-neck. She smiled as she looked in the mirror. After drying and curling her hair, and putting on a little makeup, she headed back toward the dining room. Vaughn was placing a beautiful pot roast on the table. There were also potatoes and carrots, as well as a bottle of vintage French wine.

"That looks so good!"

"Thanks. Please, sit down."

Still smiling like a fool, Sydney sat down. When the meal was finished, Sydney leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Vaughn, that was incredible."

He laughed softly. "It's about to get better. Forgive me if it isn't quite as fancy." He got up and went to the freezer. When her returned, Sydney saw he had two pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream with him. He handed Sydney one and she giggled.

"Ooh, Phish Food! My favorite!"

"I know. I'm more of a Chunky Monkey person myself."

Sydney grinned. "Imagine that."

After laughing and talking for awhile, Vaughn stood up. "Would you like to dance? This is one of my favorites."

"What song is it?"

"It's called 'Everything's Not Lost'." He grabbed Sydney's hand and pulled her to where the coffee table usually stood. She closed her eyes as she let Chris Martin's voice wash over her.

If you ever feel neglected,  
If you ever think all is lost,  
I'll be counting up my demons, yeah,  
Hoping everything's not lost,  
Everything's not lost,  
When I'm counting up my demons.  
  
There's always one for everyday,  
With the good ones on my shoulder,  
I drove the other ones away.  
  
If you ever feel neglected,  
If you think all is lost,  
I'll be counting up my demons, yeah,  
Hoping everything's not lost.  
  
When you thought it was over,  
You could feel it all around,  
Everybody's out to get you,  
Don't you let it drag you down.  
  
Cos if you eve feel neglected,  
If you think that all is lost,  
I'll be counting all the demons, yeah.  
  
Singing out o yeah [x3]  
  
Everything's not lost,  
Come on yeah, o yeah, come on yeah,  
Everything's not lost,  
O yeah, [x3]  
Everything's not lost,  
Come on yeah, o yeah,  
Come on yeah [x2]  
O yeah, Come on yeah,  
Everything's not lost, Sing out yeah,  
  
Come on yeah [x2]  
Everything's not lost,  
Come on yeah, o yeah,  
Sing out yeah,  
Everything's not lost.

The song ended, and Sydney felt Vaughn move away from her. She opened her eyes to see him on one knee before her.

"Oh my God," she breathed. Tears sprang behind her eyes and Vaughn began to speak.

"Syd, we've been through a lot together. SD-6, your mother, Sloane, Allison, Noah, and Lauren." He stopped and sighed. "The only reason I could pull through was because of you. I fell in love with you four years ago. When you disappeared, I was lost. I've been given a second chance at a life with you, and I'm not going to screw it up this time. There is only one person in my life, and that's you. You have kept me going strong. So I am asking you, Sydney Anne Bristow, will you marry me?" He was holding out the ring that she had returned to him before she went into surgery.

"Yes. Yes, Michael, I will." She was weeping openly now, but for the first time since her return, it was out of joy. He slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit, almost as if the ring had been made for her. Vaughn stood up and pulled her into his arms, looking her directly in the eyes; jade delving into chocolate. She smiled at him before leaning forward and kissing him passionately.

When they broke apart Vaughn spoke again. "I know this probably isn't exactly how you envisioned our future, but we can and will make this work.

"I know Vaughn," she hesitated, wanting to say more but struggling to find the words.

"Sydney? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's perfect. I was just thinking about-about Danny. My last engagement didn't go so well, as you know, and I don't want the same to happen to you."

"It won't, Syd. The Alliance isn't out there anymore."

"But the Covenant is. I love you, Michael, and that's what I'm afraid of."

"What do you mean?"

"It just seems that anyone I truly care about gets hurt. Danny and Francie were killed, Will is in Witness Protection, and my mom has been in hiding. Not to mention that my dad was in solitary, and. . . "

"And what?"

"You. I disappeared, and you were destroyed. I caused that."

Vaughn's grip on Sydney tightened. "Listen to me. Never, ever blame yourself. I was the one who was self destructing."

"But I caused it! I'm the reason! If I hadn't disappeared, this wouldn't have happened! I'm just-I'm so sorry."

He put a finger to her lips. "No sorrys about this. Ever."

"Never is an awfully long time."

"So is forever. Which I plan to spend with you."

Sydney smiled through her tears, admiration glowing in her brown eyes. He kissed her once more, and they lost themselves in each other's love.

They awoke the next morning lying comfortably in each other's arms. Sydney opened her eyes and blinked them slowly. "Hey."

"Hey. How ya feeling?"

"Considering last night, absolutely perfect," she looked at her ring admiringly. "Have you talked to my dad?"

"Uh, not yet, I figured since your mom is still in town, you guys could hang out for a little bit while I'm with your dad."

She looked surprised for a minute, then smiled. "That would be great."

"Okay. I'll go call your dad, then."

"I love you, Michael."

"I love you, too, Syd."

They locked eyes for a moment before Vaughn got up and strode over to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jack. It's Vaughn."

"Michael! Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering if you would like to join me for lunch today."

"What about Sydney?"

"I was thinking maybe she could spend the day with Irina."

"I suppose that would work. We'll see you at about 1:00, then?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Jack."

"Of course."

They hung up, and Vaughn turned to see Sydney was gone. He crept slowly toward the bathroom and was relieved to hear the water going. He smiled when her opened the middle drawer, remembering a conversation long ago.

FLASHBACK

Vaughn and Eric were at the Ops Center, having a very important conversation.

"She gave you a drawer, huh? "  
"It was a gesture of convenience."  
"And, uh, what'd you put in it?"   
"Why do you care?"   
"What do you mean, why do I care? Do you know how spoiled you are? You

know, a drawer--I wish I had a girlfriend to say "Hey, do you want a drawer?"   
"I'll give you a drawer at my place."   
"I don't want a drawer at your place."

Then, a few minutes and a phone call later. . .

"Jack is gonna shoot you in the face."   
"Just give me a half-hour head start. Tell him that she called on your phone and

you gave it to me. We only have 10 hours to find Caplan."   
"If we end up sharing a cell in federal prison, I'm not giving you a drawer."

END FLASHBACK

Vaughn laughed again and grabbed a pair of khakis. He spun around and saw Sydney lounging on the bed, admiring her ring once more. Vaughn's slight chuckle brought her back to reality, and she began to admire the half naked specimen standing in front of her instead.

"Hey, babe. Your parents are going to be here at about 1:00. What shirt should I wear?"

"Let me see." Sydney strode over to the closet and stared at the racks. After deliberating for several minutes she pulled out a white T-shirt and a seafoam green button up shirt. "Try this."

Vaughn took the cloths from her, and was quite pleased with the result. "Perfect, as usual."

"Mmm, everything is perfect on you."

"Ditto, babe, ditto."

She stood up and kissed him softly. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For loving me."

"Always and forever, Sydney. Always and forever."

"Syd, your parents are here!"

"Okay, I'll be there in a second!" Sydney turned the corner into her living room and saw Jack and Vaughn chatting quietly while Irina stood in the corner. "Hey, mom. Hi, dad."

"Hello, sweetheart. Mr. Vaughn and I were just discussing where to go for lunch."

"Jack, please, call me Vaughn or Michael. I think that we've gotten past the 'Mr.' stage."

"Indeed." Jack smiled wryly before asking, "Shall we go?"

"Sure. I'll see you when we get back, Syd." Vaughn smiled and softly added, "Je t'aime."

Sydney blushed and nodded. "Je t'aime, Michel." Irina smiled as she watched the exchange between the young couple. Once the two men had left, Sydney motioned to the couch. "Please, sit down."

Irina smirked slightly and said, "Merci. Sydney, we can all speak French."

"I know, but it just seems like so much more."

"I understand. Your father would speak to me in old English, even simple Russian at times. It was our special thing."

Sydney laughed and reached up with her left hand to tuck back a stray lock of hair. However, Irina grabbed her wrist before the offending hair was touched. Sydney bit her lip slightly as her mother inspected the ring. 'Vaughn proposed?"

"Yeah, last night. That's why he needed to talk to dad."

"That's wonderful. Congratulations, Sydney. I'm so proud of you." Irina reached her hand out and placed it on Sydney's newly round stomach. "I remember when you were born, you were so tiny, and so perfect." Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. "Even though I was sent to seduce your father, your birth was the happiest day of my life. When I had to fake my death and leave you and your father, it was the darkest day. Even though the marriage began as a contrivance, I would've stayed, if I could have. But if I had, all three of us would've been killed, and that was the last thing that I wanted. I just want you and Jack to know that."

For several seconds Sydney sat there, mouth hanging slightly open. Finally her lips managed to form one simple words. "Mommy?"

"I know, sweetie. I'm here now. I'm here."

Vaughn eyed Jack nervously before turning the key in the ignition. "So, uh, where did you say you wanted to go?"

"I didn't I said wherever you want to go is fine with me."

"Oh. Well, how does Chinese sound? I know the owner of the Golden Chopsticks restaurant downtown. He can get us a good table. I would say La Superica, but that's a little out of the way."

"Sounds great. I must say, Vaughn, I'm very glad Sydney has you in her life."

"Thank you." The two men were silent the rest of the ride, the only sounds being the occasional cough or sigh. When they arrived at the restaurant the silence continued to permeate until after the drinks were ordered."

"Forgive me for asking, but why were you so intent on taking me out to lunch?"

Vaughn gulped, and quite noticeably at that. "Well, I-I wanted to ask your permission to marry Sydney."

Jack gave Vaughn a very rare smile. "I thought so. You know, Danny did the same thing, except he did it from a pay phone at the hospital. I'm glad that you did it in person. You have my blessings."

Vaughn gaped for a second before returning Jack's smile. "Thank you. I really appreciate this."

"I know. Welcome to the family."

The lock clicked, and Sydney looked up to see Vaughn's beaming face, followed closely by her father.

"Bonjour, belle."

Sydney smiled. "Did you boys have fun?"

"Yeah. Did you?"

"Yup. Oh, Carrie called, she wants to hang out tomorrow, you know, go shopping for baby stuff."

"Sounds good. Maybe I can hang out with Weiss."

Sydney smiled and nodded before yawning widely.

Irina looked at her daughter and spoke quietly. "I think we should probably got going, don't you, Jack?"

"Of course, Irina. We'll see you later. Goodbye."

"Bye, dad. Bye, mom."

"Goodbye, Sydney. Michael."

The door clicked quietly behind them and Sydney plopped back onto the couch. "God, I'm so tired! I haven't even been carrying the baby that long!"

"Sydney, don't forget, the baby is more developed than it would be if it had started off with you. Technically, you're a couple of months along."

She yawned again. "Yeah, I know. Let's just go to bed."

Vaughn walked over and kissed her temple gently. "Okay."

Weiss' jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Seriously? You asked Jack Bristow-TO HIS FACE-if you could marry his daughter?!"

"Yeah."

"Dude, that's like. . . Welcome back, Balls of Steel!"

Vaughn laughed as he lined up the eight ball for his next shot. "Eight ball, side pocket."

"Yeah, right."

Vaughn rolled his eyes and sunk the ball cleanly. "That's three games in a row, man. Face it, I'm the champion."

"Okay, fine. But I could so beat you with yo-yo."

"Yo-yo, sure. I could waste you in hockey, though."

"Fine, you win, Mr. Perfect." Weiss glanced up and saw the chestnut hair gleaming from the doorway. He elbowed Vaughn and nodded toward Sydney. He grinned and strode over toward his fiancé, nudging a few eager men out of the way.

"Hi."

"Hey, babe." Vaughn leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "What's up?"

"Well, Carrie's in the car, but I was wondering, have you seen my checkbook?"

"Um, kitchen table."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks. See you when I get home."

"Unless you beat me."

"Well in that case, don't stay out too long."

She leaned in and kissed him softly before heading out the door. A large man sitting at the bar suddenly spoke to Vaughn.

"You got a good one, I can tell."

"Um, thanks."

"She's pretty, too."

Vaughn smiled. "Thank you. She never ceases to amaze me."

"How far along is she?"

"Roughly two months."

"Rambaldi's child, isn't it?"

Vaughn's eyes opened in shock. He lowered his voice before asking, "How do you know about Rambaldi?"

"I know a lot of things, Mr. Vaughn. I know her name is Sydney Bristow, and I know she disappeared for two years after a fight with Allison Doren." He laughed at Vaughn's confused stare. "I used to work under Arvin Sloane." Vaughn continued to stare, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly like a fish out of water. "I also know about your wife-Lauren is it?"

"She's not my wife. She's my ex, nothing more," Vaughn said through gritted teeth.

"Ah, of course. Well, I've got to be going. I'll see you soon. By the way, my name is Adam McKenzie. It was nice meeting you." With that, he got off his barstool, turned on his heel, and strode into the gleaming sunlight.

Heading back toward Weiss, Vaughn muttered softly under his breath, "That was bizarre."

"Carrie, I can't believe you have a baby!" Sydney squealed with delight at the sleeping form behind her. "Elena is such a beautiful name."

"Yeah, thanks. Can you believe Marshall wanted to call her Leia or Amidala? I mean, I guess they're pretty, but something from Star Wars? Honestly." The two women giggled quietly as they pulled into the Baby Depot's parking lot. "So, Sydney, have you thought of any names for your baby?"

Sydney grinned sheepishly as she unloaded the stroller. "Well, I was thinking William if it's a boy."

"Why William?"

"It was Vaughn's father's name," Sydney said quietly.

"Ah. I see. And if it's a girl?"

"If it's a girl, I was thinking something along the lines of Shana or Elora."

"Where did you come up with Elora?"

Sydney laughed. "Actually, I was just messing around with different letter sounds."

A look of amusement passed over Carrie's face as they passed through the doors. Immediately upon their arrival a squat little woman with short, curly blonde hair was standing in front of them. "Oh, how precious! She's so little." The woman looked at Carrie. "She must be yours. She has your eyes, and your nose, too." The woman, whose nametag read 'Kathy', was now cooing over Elena. Kathy looked up and saw Sydney standing there silently. "Oh, you're expecting! How far along?"

"About two months, maybe more. The days just seem to blend together." It was nearly impossible to tell if Kathy heard the false perkiness in those words. Sydney was uncomfortable with strangers since her return, and it was shown by the darkness lurking behind her eyes. That, however, was noticed by Kathy. Remarkably she said nothing. Instead she plastered on a false, cheesy smile.

"Well, let me know if you need help."

Carrie smiled and said gratefully, "We will."

Sydney muttered to Carrie softly, "I know I need help, but I doubt she could handle my problems." Carrie laughed loudly, causing Kathy to give her a questioning look.

As Kathy tottered away, a melodious voice with a French accent caught Sydney's ears. "Sydney? Sydney Bristow?"

She turned and saw an aged woman with sparkling green eyes smiling up at her. "May I ask who you are?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, mon la fille. I'm Amelie Vaughn. Michael's mother."

TBC

French/English translations: Je t'aime= I love you; Merci= thank you; Bonjour, belle= Hello, beautiful; mon la fille=my girl


	3. who are you?

Chapter 3

Okay, So my pregnancy facts may be wrong, but gimme a break. I'm 14, so I've never been pregnant, and I'm lazy, so I don't wanna do research.

"You're Michael's mother?"

"Yes, dear. Don't sound so surprised."

"I'm sorry, Amelie, I didn't mean to, but-"

"You want to know how I know who you are."

Sydney smiled sheepishly. "Yes, actually."

"Michael's told me all about you for probably four years now. I've seen pictures, too."

"Ah. I see." Sydney then noticed Amelie eyeing the engagement ring on her left ring finger.

"Is that...?"

"From Va-Michael? Yes, it is."

"But didn't he just recently divorce that blonde? I don't really know the details, but..."

"Amelie, I assume you know what Michael does for a living."

"Yes, of course."

"Well then, I believe that it would be better if he told you in a less public place."

Amelie smiled once more and nodded. The smile faltered slightly when she noticed the curve of Sydney's belly. Sydney followed her gaze and laughed silently when she thought of what must be going through the poor woman's mind.

"It's not his," she whispered.

"Well then who-"

"His name was Milo Rambaldi."

"Who?"

"He was a 15th century prophet."

Amelie gaped once more. "I expect Michael will tell me more. Well, it's been nice talking to you!"

"Au revoir, Amelie."

"Au revoir, Sydney."

Sydney watched Amelie walk away, waving slightly. She turned back to Carrie and said, "Well that was weird."

"You're telling me. I think she almost had a heart attack when you told her about the whole Rambaldi thing."

Sydney smiled a little. "Me too. Shall we get shopping?"

Carrie grinned. "Most definitely."

"Where have you been?" Weiss looked up at Vaughn, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Just, uh, talking to Sydney."

"So Sydney's a big fat creepy guy now?"

"Oh. Him."

"Duh. Are you gonna tell me what you talked about or not?"

"Yes, but not here." At Weiss' inquisitory look Vaughn simply shook his head. "Later. So, you ready to play another game?"

A small smile spread across Weiss' face. "No. Not pool anyway. How about pinball?"

"You're on." They each grabbed another beer and headed toward the machines. "Which one? We have Indiana Jones, Star Wars, or Spaceballs."

"Spaceballs, definitely."

"Hm. Balls of Steel is playing Spaceballs pinball. Did you do that on purpose, Weiss?"

"No, actually. Just coincidence." He added, "I promise!" at Vaughn's doubting glare.

"Whatever. Quarters ready?"

"Yep."

"Alright, let's go!"

Half an hour later Weiss called truce. "I'm running out of quarters. We'll finish this later."

Vaughn grinned. "Sounds good. I gotta get home. If I'm lucky, I might beat Syd. I'm sure she's going to need help with all of the stuff she probably bought."

"Okay. Hey, what about Fat Creepy Guy?"

"Just, uh, just look up the name Adam McKenzie, will you?"

"Yeah, okay. See you later."

"Bye, Weiss." Vaughn grabbed his jacket and walked out into the fading orange glow that hung over LA. He got into his car and began to head home. A smile crept across his face as he drove by the home improvement store. He and Sydney were going to have to start with the nursery soon.

Sydney looked at her watch and gave a small yelp of surprise. "Carrie! It's almost 6:30!"

"Seriously?! Wow, we better get going."

"Yeah." Sydney grunted slightly as she pushed against her overloaded cart. "I'm glad that my time as Julia earned me a pay raise. I was, after all, working for Kendall; despite my status as dead to society."

Carrie laughed. "Hey, you know, Julia is a pretty name."

Sydney's smile flickered. "Yeah, I guess," she said slowly.

"Maybe if your baby is a girl you could name her Julia."

Sydney turned cold, the darkness in her eyes swirling like storm clouds. "No," she said firmly. "Not after what happened when I had that name."

Carrie was taken aback at this sudden change. "I'm sorry, Sydney." She paused. "Wait a minute. I thought you didn't remember."

"I do now, more or less. During my surgery, I-I had flashbacks. Carrie, I saw my own funeral."

Carrie gasped. "You're kidding!"

"I wish I was." The darkness began to ebb away. "But I have Vaughn back now..."

"You really love him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. Have you-have you ever felt someone was your soulmate?"

Carrie smiled. "Unfortunately, no. But I do love Marshall."

"I know." Sydney hadn't even been paying attention to where she was going until she nearly knocked over a pacifier display. She groaned when she realized she had inadvertently gone into Kathy's line. Carrie was one checkout over, and it was too late to switch. She braced herself as it came to be her turn.

"Oh, hello again!"

"Hi, Kathy."

"My, my! This is quite the purchase you have here! You got all this into your cart yourself?" She noticed the ring on Sydney's finger. "So, where's daddy?"

Sydney had half a mind to tell her that he died approximately 500 years ago, but decided against it. Instead, she settled for, "He's at the bar with a friend."

Kathy clicked her tongue disapprovingly and muttered something under her breath. No ordinary person would've picked it up, but Sydney was no ordinary person. Her years at SD-6 and the CIA had her so well trained that she heard the words as clearly as if Kathy would've spoken them aloud.

"Never say that again," Sydney growled.

Kathy's forced smile ended up looking like a grimace when she said, "Say what?"

"Never, ever call him a lowlife deadbeat. He's been through more-"

"What I meant," Kathy cut in, "was that he shouldn't be hanging out at the bar when his fiance is out doing things for his child.

"It's not like that," Sydney snarled. Her eyes were flashing and her voice was shaking slightly.

"My dear, don't be so naive!"

This time it was Sydney who cut in. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I couldn't lay you out."

"Was that a threat?"

"You bet it was. I would have no problem kicking your-"

"Sydney!"

She spun around. "Vaughn?"

As he approached he noticed her flushed face. "Syd, baby, what's wrong?"

"Just-just pay for all of this for me, will you? I'm going out to the car. We'll talk when we get home." With that, she turned and left a dumbfounded Vaughn standing at the cash register. Carrie had no idea what was going on, but she decided it was best to stay behind.

Vaughn watched Sydney storm out the door, his mind reeling. Kathy was now tapping her fingers loudly on the counter.

"Excuse me, but could you please pay for this now?"

"Of course. How much?"

Kathy raised her eyebrows. "Well, perhaps if you had been here while the shopping was done, you would know."

A muscle in Vaughn's neck began to twitch. "How much," he repeated firmly.

"One hundred fifty-two dollars and forty-seven cents."

"Thank you." He wrote a check, noticing how it had both his and Sydney's names on it. A minute later he hastily grabbed all the bags, completely ignoring the cart that had been placed for his convenience.

"Uh, Michael?"

He turned his head to see Carrie sitting on a bench alone. "Oh, hey, Carrie."

"Hi." She motioned to Elena. "I know your hands are full, but do you think you could help me? I can't get her carseat to sit in the cart right."

"Oh, sure. Hold on." He put all of his bags on the ground and moved over to help Carrie.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"She'll be fine. Syd's a tough girl."

"I missed most of it, but when they met earlier..."

"What? What about earlier?"

"She was really on edge. Moreso than usual." She paused and giggled.

"What?"

"We met your mom."

"My mother was here? Why?"

"No clue," she said airily. "Well, thanks for your help."

"No problem." Still stunned, he picked up his bags and headed for his car, while Carrie headed for Sydney's.

When Sydney got home she simply collapsed onto the couch. She began to cry almost immediately. Not a dainty weep, but a strangled bawling. Her face became contorted, red, and splotchy. Each time she tried to inhale it was an ugly, snotty gasp. She heard the door open and knew it was Vaughn, but she didn't react. He found her curled into the fetal position, her hands covering her head. The moment he sat down beside her she lunged toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her into his lap fully and began stroking her hair, whispering soothing words in French all the while. They sat there for hours, so close together there was no space between them. After a while, Sydney took a shuddering breath.

"You okay, babe?"

She shook her head. "That woman..."

"Are you going to tell me?"

This time she nodded and began, right from the moment she had walked into the store.

"Oh, Syd," was all Vaughn could say when she finished. "I'm so sorry, babe."

"I know." She stopped for a minute and then began to giggle.

"What?"

"Well, when she asked where the father was I was SO close to telling her he died about 500 years ago."

This time it was Vaughn who laughed. "So, I understand you met my mom?"

"Yeah. She seems nice."

"She is. We should have her over sometime."

Sydney smiled. "Yeah, we should. I think we'd all like that."

"I love you, Sydney."

"I love you, too, Michael."

"Oh, God!"

"Sydney, are you okay?" It was 12:30 AM, about a week and a half after the encounter with Kathy. Sydney had since avoided the baby store.

"Oh, God!" She got up and sprinted to the bathroom, Vaughn at her heels. He found her leaning over the toilet; the room's lights still off. He flipped the switch and kneeled next to Sydney on the floor, pulling her long brown hair away from her face.

"You okay, babe?"

Sydney barely had time to shake her head before she began to retch again. "This really sucks, Vaughn."

"I'm sure it does. I'm gonna start a bath, okay?"

She heaved again before answering. "Thanks. Could you get me a cool washcloth, too?"

"Anything for you, Sydney." He kissed the top of her head as he stood up. It was the third time that week that she had woken up sick. Vaughn knew it was due to the pregnancy, but it still pained him to see her like this.

"Vaughn?" She was now leaning against the wall. He handed her the washcloth and she gave him a weak smile.

"The tub is ready when you are."

"Thanks. I'm sorry I keep waking you up like this."

"Don't be sorry. We're having a baby. Never be sorry for that." He kissed the top of her head again and headed out to the kitchen. Unfortunately for them, they both had work that day, so Vaughn started a pot of coffee. Even though carrying and delivering the Rambaldi baby was Sydney's new mission, it was still required that she go to debriefs.

Vaughn returned to the bathroom to find Sydney relaxing in a tub full of lavender scented suds.

"God Bless Mr. Bubbles, Bath and Body Works, and the genius creation of the bathtub," Sydney laughed. Vaughn put the toilet lid down and sat on it. He gazed at Sydney for a moment before cupping her face with his hand. She sighed and leaned into it. "I love you, Michael."

He gave her a crooked smile and said, "I love you too, Sydney." She kissed his palm gently and saw him smiling.

"What?"

"You called me Michael."

"So?"

"I like it. But..."

Sydney cocked an eyebrow and shifted, the water sloshing around her. "But what?"

"It's two things, really. You never used to call me Michael, so it's just different. And, well, all my other ex-girlfriends, and I guess my ex-wife too, always called me Michael. You were the only one who made me love my last name."

"So, do you not want me to call you Michael?"

"No, I mean, yes... Which works here? Anyhow, I don't care either way. I think even dispersal would work best."

"Mmm." She was tempted to pull him closer and kiss him, but vomit-breath was probably a huge turn-off she concluded. She settled for another light kiss to his palm instead. "I think the coffee's ready."

Dixon looked at the group of people surrounding him with pride. They had all sacrificed so much, but still they remained strong. He also noticed the seating configuration changes. Will Tippin was now a part of the group, and he sat between Weiss and Marshall. Carrie was seated on Marshall's other side, little Elena asleep in her arms. On the other side of the room, Sydney sat between her father and Vaughn, whose hand was being clutched tightly. Next to Jack sat Kendall in a rare appearance. Dixon cleared his throat before starting. "I assume you've noticed Mr. Tippin here. He's been pulled out of Witness Protection due to the fact that Allison Doren and Arvin Sloane are no longer probable threats. He will resume status as an analyst, but will be sitting in during debriefs." He paused to take a breath and realized that Kendall was being carefully scrutinized by nearly everyone in the room. "Mr. Kendall is here to oversee the results of the Rambaldi investigation, as well as the outcome of Agent Bristow's pregnancy."

"Speaking of which," Jack interrupted. "I believe that a celebration is in order? After all, this is a very important child that is to be born."

"Dad, don't, seriously..."

"It's too late, Sydney," Weiss piped up. "It's already planned. You won't know when, and you won't know where, but it's ready. Just don't kick my a if I'm the poor unfortunate soul who has to do the surprise pickup."

Sydney smiled. "Well, I can't make any guarantees, Weiss. Sorry, you just might have to face the wrath."

"But that's no fair," he whined. "You're half Derevko, half Bristow, AND Rambaldi's chosen one? Sorry, Syd, but that kinda scares the crap out of me."

"Save me, Jeebus!" Vaughn muttered. Sydney suppressed a laugh, which instead threw her into a fit of silent giggles.

Weiss rolled his eyes. "What now?"

"Save me, Jeebus," Vaughn repeated; a little louder this time.

"Huh?"

"Come on man, don't you watch the Simpsons?"

"Nope, not really. I'm more of a Futurama person."

Dixon cleared his throat loudly. "That's enough, gentlemen. Mr. Kendall, I believe you have something to share?"

Kendall nodded and stood up. "As you may be aware, Lauren Reed was transferred to Camp Harris roughly one month ago. Up until last week she was stonewalling, but we have made a breakthrough. It appears the Covenant lab is in an abandoned warehouse in Brazil."

"Brazil?" Sydney echoed.

"Rio de Janeiro, to be exact. Weiss, Vaughn, and Sydney, you'll be going to the lab. We would like you to bring back some evidence and destroy the rest."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Who is 'we' exactly?"

"DSR." Kendall slid three folders to their owners, each detailing the mission.

"Um, sir?" Kendall looked over at Sydney questioningly.

"Yes, Ms. Bristow?"

"Well, couldn't this be potentially dangerous? If I get into a fight, there is a rather large chance that the baby could get injured."

"That has been taken into account, I assure you. You will have special tactical gear to protect you and the child. And I'm sure Weiss and Vaughn will take good care of you."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome. Well, I have nothing more to say, so with Director Dixon's approval, I assume you are all free to go."

Dixon nodded and opened the door. He didn't like the idea of Sydney on another mission, but in this case he had no control.

"Boy Scout, I'm going after her. You get the other guy."

"Copy that, Mountaineer. Boot Camp, do you copy?"

"Gotcha, Boy Scout. Be careful."

At Weiss' last words, Sydney and Vaughn took off running in opposite directions. Sydney saw the dark hair whip around the corner before hearing the elevator doors slam shut. She came around the corner to see the back of the other woman's head sinking quickly. "Go figure," she muttered. "Let's make the pregnant woman run down the stairs." She heard Weiss' laugh on the other end of her earpiece and took off down the stairs. She stopped on the landing two floors down and hid behind the corner. She was invisible to the woman in the elevator, but she had a perfect view. The elevator stopped and the woman turned around. "No," Sydney gasped. "She should be dead!"

Vaughn's voice crackled over her com. "Syd, what is it?"

"It's Allison," she breathed. "She's alive."

Vaughn stopped in his tracks. "What?! Syd, I'm coming to help."

"No! Get your guy. I'm going after Allison."

Vaughn knew there was no stopping her, so he resumed his chase. He leapt over the stair railing and rounded the corner to find the man trapped at a dead end. Something about his figure and stance was familiar.

"Drop your gun and turn around slowly."

The man dropped his gun, but did not turn around. "Hello again, Mr. Vaughn."

"Turn around," Vaughn repeated. His voice was steely and commanding, so much that it made the hair on the back of Weiss' neck stand on end.

"Okay, Agent Vaughn. If you want me to." He turned around, and Vaughn's eyes widened.

"Adam McKenzie?"

Silently Sydney crept up behind Allison when she yelled, "Allison! Freeze!"

She spun around, looking confused. "Sydney?! Who's Allison?"

Sydney's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Francie?!"


End file.
